ILTS Computer Science (205)

A teacher wants students to break a large, complex programming task into smaller, more manageable pieces that can be solved independently. Which computational thinking concept best describes this strategy?

• ADecomposition
• BPattern recognition
• CAbstraction
• DAlgorithm design

In computational thinking, what does abstraction primarily allow a programmer to do?

• AHide unnecessary detail and focus on the essential features of a problem
• BExecute instructions in parallel across multiple processors
• CGuarantee that a program runs in constant time
• DConvert source code directly into machine language

A student notices that several different sorting problems all share the same underlying step of comparing two adjacent values and swapping them when out of order. Recognizing this shared structure across problems is an example of which computational thinking practice?

• APattern recognition
• BDecomposition
• CEncapsulation
• DIteration

Which sequence best represents a general problem-solving process for designing a computational solution?

• ADefine the problem, plan and design a solution, implement, then test and refine
• BImplement code, then define the problem, then test
• CTest the program, then design it, then define the problem
• DDesign the user interface, then define the problem, then plan

An algorithm is best defined as which of the following?

• AA finite, well-defined sequence of steps for solving a problem or completing a task
• BA high-level programming language used for web development
• CA physical component that stores program instructions
• DA diagram that shows how classes inherit from one another

Consider the following pseudocode: set total to 0 for each number in list add number to total output total Which algorithmic control structure does the 'for each' line represent?

• AIteration
• BSelection
• CRecursion
• DSequence only

A recursive function must include which of the following to avoid infinite recursion?

• AA base case that stops the recursive calls
• BA global variable shared across all calls
• CAt least two parameters
• DA loop inside the function body

Which of the following describes a conditional (selection) structure in an algorithm?

• AThe program chooses among different actions based on whether a condition is true or false
• BThe program repeats a block of steps a fixed number of times
• CThe program executes statements one after another in a single fixed order
• DThe program calls itself with a smaller input

A flowchart uses a diamond shape to represent which element of an algorithm?

• AA decision or condition
• BA process or computation step
• CInput or output
• DThe start or end of the program

Two algorithms solve the same problem. Algorithm A runs in O(n) time and Algorithm B runs in O(n^2) time. For very large values of n, which statement is most accurate?

• AAlgorithm A is generally more efficient because its running time grows linearly rather th…
• BAlgorithm B is always faster because it has a higher exponent
• CBoth algorithms run in exactly the same time for all inputs
• DBig-O notation describes memory only, not running time

What is the primary purpose of pseudocode when designing an algorithm?

• ATo express the logic of an algorithm in a structured, language-independent way before cod…
• BTo compile directly into an executable program
• CTo document the hardware requirements of a program
• DTo replace the need for testing the final program

In object-oriented programming, a class is best described as which of the following?

• AA blueprint or template that defines the attributes and behaviors of objects
• BA single instance created in memory at runtime
• CA loop that iterates over a collection of objects
• DA network protocol for transferring data

Encapsulation in object-oriented programming primarily refers to which of the following?

• ABundling data and the methods that operate on it together while restricting direct access…
• BAllowing one class to inherit attributes and methods from another
• CLetting a method behave differently depending on the object that calls it
• DBreaking a program into separate source files

A Dog class and a Cat class both extend an Animal class, inheriting its makeSound() method but each overriding it to produce a different sound. This is an example of which object-oriented concept?

• APolymorphism
• BEncapsulation
• CAbstraction of data types
• DRecursion

What is the relationship between a class and an object in object-oriented programming?

• AAn object is a specific instance created from a class
• BA class is a specific instance created from an object
• CA class and an object are identical and interchangeable terms
• DAn object is the parent of all classes in a program

A function is defined to accept a radius and return the area of a circle. Defining and reusing this function throughout a program is an example of which design benefit?

• AModularity and code reuse
• BIncreased coupling between unrelated modules
• CEliminating the need for variables
• DGuaranteeing the program has no logic errors

Which scenario is the best candidate for solving with a recursive algorithm?

• AComputing the factorial of n, where n! = n times (n-1)!
• BReading a single value from the keyboard
• CAssigning a constant value to a variable
• DPrinting a fixed greeting message once

When evaluating two correct algorithms for the same task, which pair of factors is most commonly used to compare their efficiency?

• ATime complexity and space complexity
• BNumber of comments and length of variable names
• CProgramming language and editor used
• DColor scheme and indentation style

A student claims that solving a problem on a computer is unrelated to mathematics. Which statement best corrects this misconception?

• AComputational problem solving relies heavily on mathematical reasoning such as logic, fun…
• BComputers never perform arithmetic, so math is irrelevant to programming
• CMathematics is only needed for graphics programming and nothing else
• DAlgorithms cannot be analyzed using mathematical concepts

Which of the following best illustrates abstraction in everyday computing?

• AUsing a function named sort() without knowing the internal steps of the sorting algorithm
• BWriting every machine instruction by hand for each program
• CMemorizing the binary value of every character
• DDisabling all libraries before running a program

A program must check whether a list of student names contains duplicates. Decomposing this task, which subproblem is most appropriate to identify first?

• AComparing each name against the others to detect a match
• BChoosing the font color for displaying names
• CDeciding which operating system to run the program on
• DSelecting a logo for the application window

Consider an algorithm that performs a linear search through an unsorted array of n elements. In the worst case, how many elements must it examine?

• An
• Blog n
• C1
• Dn squared

Which statement about inheritance in object-oriented programming is correct?

• AA subclass inherits attributes and methods from its superclass and can add or override th…
• BA superclass inherits all features from its subclasses
• CInheritance prevents a subclass from defining any new methods
• DInheritance requires every class to be declared as final

A teacher introduces binary search and asks why it requires the data to be sorted. What is the correct reason?

• ABinary search repeatedly eliminates half the remaining elements by comparing the target t…
• BSorting makes the array use less memory so binary search can run
• CBinary search physically reorders the array each time it runs
• DSorting converts the data into binary digits required by the algorithm

Which of the following is the best example of a problem that benefits from pattern recognition before coding a solution?

• ANoticing that calculating a sum, a product, and a maximum over a list all follow the same…
• BChoosing whether to use a laptop or desktop to write code
• CSelecting a programming language license
• DPicking a name for a project folder

A student writes a recursive function to compute the nth Fibonacci number but the program crashes with a stack overflow error for n = 50. Which design issue most likely caused this?

• AThe naive recursion recomputes the same subproblems repeatedly, generating an enormous nu…
• BThe base case returns the wrong data type
• CFibonacci numbers cannot be computed recursively
• DRecursion is not allowed for integer inputs

In object-oriented design, a constructor is a special method used primarily to do which of the following?

• AInitialize a new object's attributes when it is created
• BDelete an object from memory
• CConvert an object into a string for printing
• DCompare two objects for equality

Which design principle is violated when a single function is written to read a file, validate the data, compute statistics, and print a report all in one block?

• ASeparation of concerns (single responsibility)
• BUse of meaningful variable names
• CConsistent indentation
• DAvoidance of magic numbers

A teacher wants students to trace an algorithm by hand to verify it works before coding. This practice is best described as which of the following?

• ADesk checking (tracing) the algorithm step by step
• BRefactoring the source code
• CCompiling the program
• DDeploying the application to a server

An algorithm sorts a list by repeatedly selecting the smallest remaining element and placing it at the front. Which sorting algorithm does this describe?

• ASelection sort
• BBinary search
• CHashing
• DDepth-first traversal

Which of the following is the most appropriate use of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)?

• AWriting, editing, compiling, and debugging code within a single application
• BStoring customer payment data in the cloud
• CRouting packets between networks
• DEncrypting email messages end to end

A programmer imports a graphics library to draw shapes rather than writing pixel-level drawing code. What is the main advantage of using a library?

• AReusing tested, prewritten code so the programmer can build on existing functionality
• BGuaranteeing the program will never contain bugs
• CRemoving the need for any programming language
• DAutomatically translating the program into every spoken language

Which of the following is a primitive data type in most common programming languages?

• AInteger
• BArrayList
• CDictionary
• DHashMap

An array storing exam scores is declared with size 10 and indexed starting at 0. Which index refers to the last valid element?

• A9
• B10
• C11
• D0

Which data structure follows a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) order of access?

• AStack
• BQueue
• CArray sorted in ascending order
• DBinary search tree

Which data structure is most appropriate for processing print jobs in the order they were submitted?

• AQueue
• BStack
• CHash table
• DBinary tree

Evaluate the Boolean expression: (true AND false) OR (NOT false). What is the result?

• Atrue
• Bfalse
• CIt depends on the variable values
• DThe expression is syntactically invalid

In a language using standard operator precedence, what is the value of the expression 3 + 4 * 2?

• A11
• B14
• C10
• D24

Consider this loop: set count to 0 while count < 5 output count increase count by 1 How many values does this loop output?

• A5
• B4
• C6
• D0

Which control structure is most appropriate when the number of repetitions is known in advance, such as processing each of exactly 12 months?

• AA definite (counted) for loop
• BA while loop that never updates its condition
• CA switch statement
• DA try-catch block

A two-dimensional array (matrix) named grid has 3 rows and 4 columns. How many total elements does it contain?

• A12
• B7
• C3
• D4

What is the result of the integer division and modulo operations 17 / 5 and 17 % 5, respectively, in a language where / on integers truncates?

• A3 and 2
• B3.4 and 0
• C2 and 3
• D4 and 1

A variable declared inside a function and accessible only within that function has which kind of scope?

• ALocal scope
• BGlobal scope
• CNetwork scope
• DPersistent scope

Which of the following best describes a syntax error?

• ACode that violates the grammar rules of the programming language and fails to compile or…
• BCode that compiles and runs but produces an incorrect result
• CA hardware failure during program execution
• DA slow network connection while downloading a library

A program compiles and runs without crashing, but it always outputs the average as larger than expected because it divides by the wrong count. This is an example of which type of error?

• ALogic error
• BSyntax error
• CCompile-time error
• DHardware error

During debugging, what is the main purpose of setting a breakpoint in an IDE?

• ATo pause program execution at a chosen line so variable values and flow can be inspected
• BTo permanently delete a line of code
• CTo automatically fix all errors in the program
• DTo compile the program into machine code faster

Which statement correctly distinguishes a compiler from an interpreter?

• AA compiler translates the entire program into machine code before execution, while an int…
• BA compiler runs code line by line, while an interpreter translates the whole program first
• CBoth compilers and interpreters produce identical executable files
• DNeither a compiler nor an interpreter is needed to run high-level code